MAY 7, 2008
Midwest Region Announces its Second Annual Conference - June 7
HAMMER OUT SUSTAINABLE WAYS TO COMBAT U.S. MILITARISM GENERATE SUPPORT BETWEEN CHAPTERS BUILD MEMBERSHIP
THEME: Do we agree that militarism is the source of most of our foreign policy and domestic policy failures? Is there a basis upon which to build a sustainable nation-wide strategy for counteracting militarism?
Where:
Friends Meeting House
1001 Park Avenue, St. Louis, MO
63104
MIDWEST REGIONAL MEETING AGENDA
- Chapter and independent member reports.
- Open discussion addressing militarism and how to effectively counteract its effect upon our culture.
- Membership building around those issues.
- Lunch
- Breakout sessions to develop specific actions we can take now and in the future.
- Planning for next Regional Meeting.
- Dinner and Film
Contact for Attendance & Program Details:
Jerry Steele - 816-632-2332
Chuc Smith - 314-330-4532 (cell)
Woody Powell - 636-271-1312
VFP Reaches Out to Troops on May Day
Members and staff of Veterans For Peace took their message to military bases on May 1, 2008 in recognition of the fifth anniversay of "Mission Accomplished". Outside of Fort Wainwright, AK, Fort Dix, PA, Fort Hood, TX, and Scott Air Force Base, IL, members of VFP held banners and signs and handed out brochures, movies, and information to military personnel. Since President Bush landed on the USS Abraham Lincoln and declared the mission accomplished, 3932 United States personnel have died in the war and occupation of Iraq.
If you are interested in learning more about how to reach out to the troops in your area, please contact Cherie at ceichholz@veteransforpeace.net or call 314-725-6005.
Have you participated in one of these actions? Do you want to learn more? Join the discussion at the Veterans For Peace Online Forum.
Occupation Project Update -Jury Acquits Bangor Peace Activists
Doug Rawlings and Dudley Hendrick, both members of Chapter 001
of Veterans For Peace, were part of a group of six activists that were
found not guilty of criminal trespass on Wednesday. The six were
arrested as part of the Occupation Project inside U.S. Sen. Susan
Collins' office in the Federal Building in Bangor, Maine. Read their statement here.
District Attorney R. Christopher Almy said the following: "I think that the public in Maine is so disgusted with the war in Iraq that they demonstrated their disgust with this verdict...and, that they are upset with [Sen. Olympia] Snowe and Collins for getting us involved in this debacle."
Liberation Day for Viet Nam - Written by Billy Kelly
On this date, thirty-three years ago today, the long nightmare of the Vietnamese people finally ended. With the onset of WW II, theVietnamese people, led by Ho Chi Minh, began the fight to overthrow all foreign intruders, aggressors and colonialists. This article was written by Viet Nam War Veteran and VFP member Billy Kelly. It was published in Viet Nam's national newspaper, Tuoi Tre.
Port Protests Still Planned by Members of ILWU
In a historic step, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) announced last month that it will stop work on the day shift of May 1 to demand an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq, however the request for a work stoppage has been denied and union leadership has since removed the request
Caucus delegates, including
several military veterans, spoke passionately about the importance of supporting
the troops by bringing them home safely and ending the War in Iraq. Concerns
were also raised about the growing cost of the war that has threatened funding
for domestic needs, including education and healthcare.
May 1st is both the day of Mission Accomplished and
International Workers Day.
The ILWU is allowed to request one work stoppage a month in order to conduct union business, however workstoppages are typically held during an evening shift when ports are less busy. The work stoppage has been denied. Union leadership has since removed their request, however port protests are still being planned. A port closure will affect 29 west coast ports.
Take Action on May 1st - Mission Accomplished
On May 1st, the 5th anniversary of “mission accomplished,” VFP chapters will travel to local military bases and stand at the gates with a few simple signs, waving to military personnel, during the peak travel hours. This is an extraordinarily simple action, which requires few people, originated by Harvey Tharp, VFP and IVAW member, on last year’s VFP Convoy. We hope to have VFP members and chapters across the country participate in this action.
Buy a Lieraq Shirt - Support VFP
On March 18th the nation marked the 5th anniversary of the War in Iraq. Six days later the death toll reached 4,000.In a solemn and vocal observation of this trio of tragedies we have partnered with Progresswear in offering $5.00 off the powerful LIERAQ shirt until April 30. A portion of each sale will be donated to Veterans for Peace and the more shirts we ultimately sell, the higher the donation per shirt will be. See the men's tee here http://progresswear.com/iraq_shirtvfp2.html and the women's tee and tank here http://progresswear.com/iraq_w_shirtvfp2.html.
Chapter 039 Remembers 4000 Dead
On the day after the official tally of the 4,000th casualty of the Iraq War, several organizations rallied on the Veterans Memorial Bridge in Cleveland, Ohio to commemorate this sad milestone and call for an end to the war. Among them were members of Chapter 39 Veterans for Peace. Organizers and volunteers recorded the name of each casualty on a sheet of paper and placed each sheet into a clear plastic holder which were then strung together and a stretched from one end of the bridge to the other. Tragically, there were enough names for both sides of the bridge. See photos of the event.
Take Action - Call on Senators to End the War and Occupation
There is a way for Congress to end the war in Iraq NOW. Military Families Speak Out is launching a campaign this week to call on Senators who claim to oppose the war in Iraq - including Senators Clinton and Obama -- to lead and sustain a filibuster that will prevent the Senate from passing President Bush's latest funding request to continue the war in Iraq.Sign the MFSO petition
Click here to download our leaflet from our website and pass it out at meetings, concerts, baseball games, the post office -- anywhere people gather in your town.
If you have a blog or a website, add a links to MFSO's "Call to Action" and the petition.
Washington DC Protest Wrap-Up
For the commemoration of the 5th year of the occupation of Iraq, members of Veterans For Peace gathered in Washington D.C. to show their opposition to the war.
Thank You For Your Support of Iraq Veterans Against the War and Winter Soldier
March 13-16, 2008 Iraq Veterans Against the War held Winter Solider: Iraq and Afghanistan (Eyewitness Accounts of the Occupations) in Silver Springs, Maryland. The event was a great success and I would like to thank the greater anti-war/peace movements for your support in helping IVAW, Vietnam Veterans Against the War and Veterans For Peace in our efforts.
VFP Vice-President Arrested in San Francisco - Her Story
Sharon Kufeldt serves as the Veterans For Peace Vice-President. Daughter of a Marine from WWII and Korea, she joined the Air Force during Vietnam.To commemorate the 5th year of the occupation of Iraq, Sharon participated in a die-in outside Senator Diane Feinstein's office in San Francisco. Across the city of San Francisco, over 165 people were arrested.
"There comes a time, when the heart is moved by compassion, to join the likes of Daniel Ellsberg and his wife, Fr. Louis Vitale, Ying Lee, and others. My personal mission this day was to experience the first stages of civil disobedience. I wanted to sit - or actually lay - in the street with a gathering of others - for a few minutes to explore the edges of this phenomenon."
US Death Toll Reaches 4000
Overnight, a blast in Baghdad killed four additional US service personnel, making the death toll rise above 4000. Just after passing the commemoration for the 5th year of the war and occupation of Iraq, we have watched the number of U.S. service people slowly rise. While Americans focus on Presidential politics and Hollywood happenings - men and women serving in Iraq are dying and over 33,000 have come home physically injured.As veterans, we know the horrors of war. We understand the difficulties that our military service people have to go through when they return from war. We know that there are long battles with the VA for health care, families that have been torn apart from spouses serving multiple tours in Iraq, and trauma that goes unseen and untreated by what these men and women and witnessed and participated in.
As the 6th year of the war begins, we have to find it within ourselves to take bigger steps to end this war. We have to move beyond vigils and protest and into the mainstream public to convince them that this war and occupation cannot continue!
Veterans March Around the Nation
To commemorate the 5th year of the occupation of Iraq, members of Veterans For Peace gathered across the nation to once again "Bring the Troops Home Now!"[A Sober Reminder of War - Miami | Local Chapter of VFP Stage Rallies Throughout Valley | Local Peace Activists Mark Anniversary of Iraq War - Bangor, Maine | Fighting for Peace | Vets Take a Stand For Peace - Oberlin | Vets Join Protesters at Rally - Tampa | Five Years of War Doesn't Go Unnoticed - Nashville | Vigil Held for Peace in Iraq - Danvers, MA]
Veterans For Peace members in Washington D.C. lead protesters on a March For Peace. They demanded the arrest of George Bush and Dick Cheney at the White House and the Department of Justice. At the National Archives, activists held a brief demonstration. Read the Stars and Stripes article here.
Video [Adam Kokesh Demands Impeachment | Union Station Protest | National Archive Protest - 1 | National Archive Protest - 2]
Winter Soldier a Huge Success
This last weekend, over 100 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans spoke the truth about the war and occupation. The event was attended by hundreds of media, as well as military families and veterans from VFP and VVAW. Nate Goldshlag, member of Chapter 009 (the Smedley Butler Brigade), wrote the following:"I have just spent an amazing and intense 4 days at the Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan hearings in DC. Many brave veterans spoke the truth about what is happening, a truth that is censored in the mainstream corporate media. They talked about the Iraqis and they talked about themselves and how the war and occupation has affected them and in some cases destroyed them. One vet spoke of trying to kill himself. It was so moving and we cried and the U.S. population needs to see and hear this. Iraq Veterans Against The War's site http://ivaw.org will have archived video, but their website is down today. I *urge* you to take some time and view the following on Democracy Now, a voice of truth in the media and one of the few. Mainstream corporate media was pitiful, including National Petroleum Radio (NPR) which some people mistakenly think is different. But you can view it here, and Amy Goodman will be carrying excerpts all week. [Friday | Monday]
One very good thing is that an AP report appeared in Army Times, Marine Corps Times, Navy Times, and Air Force Times. And Stars and Stripes did a pretty good piece. That will boost IVAW. But there is nothing like watching and seeing it as we did."
You can still watch the testimonies - visit the IVAW website at ivaw.org.
Chapter 099 - Asheville, NC Helps Orphans in Afghanistan
In 2003, the Asheville, NC Chapter of Veterans For Peace voted to help two orphanages in Laghman and Jalalabad, Afghanistan. They raised over $20,000 to help provide kitchen equipment, washing machines, and much needed daily supplies to the orphans. Many of these students are able to continue their education thanks to the hard work of the Asheville Chapter.
The project recently received an additional $17,000 that was raised through members of Veterans For Peace that will be used to provide a badly needed new roof.
The Asheville Chapter has been working with LIFE for Relief and Development, the same organization that assists the Iraq Water Project with providing clean drinking water to Iraq.
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